Easy Sugar Skull Kirigami for Day of the Dead

Day of the Dead(or Dia De Los Muertos) is a festive two day celebration (November 1st & 2nd) honoring the lives of loved ones who have died. This colorful holiday from the Hispanic cultures of Mexico, Spain, and South America, is gaining wide popularity across the U.S. One of the most recognizable symbols of Day of the Dead is the brightly colored sugar skull. To add a new twist to my other Dia De Los Muertos projects, I decided to make a sugar skull with kirigami!

If you think you’re not familiar with kirigami…. think “paper snowflakes” and you’ll have the basic idea! Kirigami is similar to Origami (paper folding) but it includes cutting the paper in addition to folding it.

If you google kirigami, you’ll find examples that are extremely detailed and intricate. These are made by adults using an Xacto knife on a cutting mat, often with complex patterns as guides. But kids can have fun with kirigami just using plain copy paper and scissors.

My Easy Sugar Skull Kirigami can be simply glued on a contrasting background – or embellished with markers (or glitter glue!) to add some color, if you like!

You’ll Need:

8.5”x11” copy paper, white

9”x12” construction paper (black or any color you like)

pencil

scissors

glue stick

Optional:

hole punch(es)

parchment paper

iron

markers

glitter glue

Directions:

1. Fold your copy paper in half vertically, matching the long edges (the “hot dog way”). Without unfolding it, fold it one more time the same direction.

2. Then, unfold your paper and fold it in half the other direction, matching the shorter edges (the “hamburger way”). Without unfolding it, fold it one more time the same direction.

3. Now unfold your paper and smooth it out a bit.

4. Fold your paper in half vertically again. With your pencil, sketch the skull, nose and mouth on just one side of the folded edge. Keep in mind that you’ll be making a symmetrical design by cutting on the fold lines.

5. Start by cutting away the outer edge beyond the skull shape, then the nose, and the mouth.

6. Sketch an eye shape just above the middle horizontal fold.

7. Fold your paper on the fold line that runs through the middle of the eye and cut on the fold line.

8. Cutting half of one eye with your paper folded this way will yield two symmetrical eyes!

9. You can stop here, or continue adding details, smaller shapes, or hole punches. Make as many new fold lines to cut on as you need to. It can help to sketch where you want new fold lines to go as you develop your design – just to keep it symmetrical.

10. When you’ve finished cutting, smooth out your fold lines by re-folding them in the opposite direction or by pressing them flat with an iron on low heat, under a sheet of parchment paper.